The winter solstice is here. Today marks the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, while last night was the longest night of the year. This has been an important event for millennia, with evidence of celebrations going back as far as 10,000 BCE. Some of the world"s most famous Stone Age monuments, including Stonehenge, are aligned with the point that the sun rises or sets on the winter solstice. Traditionally, it was a time for feasting and lighting of fires to symbolise the darkest day of the year. Ancient Germanic tribes celebrated the winter solstice by bringing evergreens into their homes as a symbol of the returning light and the coming spring.
Happy winter solstice!
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, USA
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Brown pelican, San Diego, California, United States
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Hot enough to howl
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Container ship near a port in Thailand
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Naxos, Cyclades, Greece
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Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Huesca, Spain
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Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland
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Spirit of the Puffing Wind
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Turquoise waters of the Bahamas
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Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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Pride and Joy
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The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
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Babbling on and on
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Desert daggers?
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What are these beautiful sandy waves?
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Maharashtra Day
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A place where Buddha attained enlightenment
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Why are blackbirds tied to winter?
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Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
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Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
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Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
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Chinese New Year
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Olive orchard in the Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
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The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
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Jeju Island, South Korea
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Guanaco, Punta Norte, Valdés Peninsula, Argentina
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Indian Head Cove, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Canada
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A young bull moose
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

